#PackersDaily: Give Matt LaFleur his due
The Green Bay Packers have gone from 2-5 to within two games of the Super Bowl. No matter what happens on Sunday against the 49ers, the job that Matt LaFleur has done with this Packers team can't be ignored.
By PackerAaron
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Comments (9)
Lphill
January 15, 2024 at 08:03 pm
But his loyalty to Joe Barry is suspect.
WD
January 16, 2024 at 07:42 am
Granted, the defense all season has been inconsistent. Yet the last few weeks the direction of progress can not be ignored. Quite possibly the players have begun to master the system; and as a result more comfortable. The Dallas game was impressive particularly in the first half. Their receivers just could not get open. Early in the season it was fair to blame much of the problems on Barry. But now, it is only fair to give him much of the credit. The jury was the first playoff game against the great Cowboy offense. Barry (and the defense) came through with flying colors. My verdict is his life should be spared and he needs to return as DC! It is never a good idea to change horses in the middle of a stream. This is only the beginning of the Love era.
SicSemperTyrannis
January 16, 2024 at 08:31 am
There are 20 available candidates for DC. Every single one of them is better. Who schemed this defense in the first half? It was GREAT! If JB could be trusted to do that instead of pissing away half the season, he would have done that last season and this. Especially after promising his players that they'd be allowed to play aggressively this season, then proving himself a liar.
SinceLombardi
January 16, 2024 at 07:44 am
I absolutely hated MLF. He is ( was) culpable for many problems. But not being on the “inside” there is much we just don’t know.
But I don’t mind eating a plate full of crow. The total beat down of Dallas was one of the best packers victories I’ve ever witnessed. Period.
SicSemperTyrannis
January 16, 2024 at 08:42 am
MLF does many things well. Were all the players taught well all season, and they're just slow learners? No, there's all sorts of evidence that wasn't happening. A good HC benches players who won't follow instructions, and puts in people who will.
What's responsible for the individual progress, especially on the O line? I have no idea, but I'd love to know; that's the single biggest key to this season's turnaround, IMHO. JL10 put in extra time with his targets, and completion rate improved. That's been huge, too. His own decision making has excelled! This includes the ability to get the ball out quickly, which might be the bigger half of the apparent improvement on the O line.
I hope JL spends this off-season playing catch with the speedsters. Maybe with other groupings of targets according to their speed, too. He has a wide variety to adjust to and sometimes you can see that is difficult. Greatly improved, but not always hitting everybody in stride. If these guys come into day 1 of OTAs in top form, DBs can immediately start improving, and contested catching ability will improve, too.
Tundraboy
January 16, 2024 at 11:59 pm
I will eat crow happily as well. Payback for the 90s and more! Fine job MLF.
KKB
January 16, 2024 at 10:25 am
I am probably in the minority, but I still like Savage. I think he is still a quality safety - but has been hugely impacted by Joe Barry. I would like to see GB resign him and see what he can do for a different DC.
SicSemperTyrannis
January 16, 2024 at 06:34 pm
Absolutely! He's also played well this season. Imagine what he'd do under a DC that consistently wanted him to play to his strengths ...
KKB
January 17, 2024 at 05:41 pm
Barry took the best secondary in the NFL and destroyed it. Under Barry - we had so much talent:: Alexander, Douglas, Erick the Red; Savage , and Amos - along with an excellent coach in Gray. And he could not make it work!